February 2012
SUSTAINABILITY NEWS from the UNIVERSITY of PENNSYLVANIA
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A Note On College Green The launch of the Climate Action Plan in September 2009 set Penn's goals and strategies for incorporating sustainability into academic coursework, strategic investment, capital planning, and outreach and engagement at the University. At the heart of our efforts, though, are continued leadership in research, academics, and teaching, to best prepare Penn students for the challenges of the 21st century. Penn's approach to sustainability continues to be holistic, incorporating initiatives in clean power, energy conservation, green buildings, waste reduction, and sustainable campus operations. The initiatives implemented over the past two years are described more fully in the 2011 Climate Action Plan Progress Report. This report demonstrates Penn's commitment to sustainability and environmental awareness, and how the Climate Action Plan goals are woven into our University mission. Penn is setting precedents for how a living and learning environment can respond to global climate change. As we look back on the progress made since 2009, we are energized and excited for the future of sustainability at Penn. |
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| FEATURED STORIES |
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| LEARNING SUSTAINABILITY | ||||||||||||||
| CONSERVING ENERGY | ||||||||||||||
| MINIMIZING WASTE | ||||||||||||||
| DESIGNING GREEN | ||||||||||||||
| REDUCING EMISSIONS | ||||||||||||||
| EATING LOCAL | ||||||||||||||
| LEADING THE GREEN | ||||||||||||||
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HOLDING A GREEN EVENT? ADD IT TO OUR CALENDAR!  Email event info to sustainability@upenn.edu |
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| WEDMAR14 |
The Urban Agriculture Potential of Philadelphia (Earth & Environmental Studies Undergraduate Advisory Board Panel Discussion) 12:00p - 1:30p Carolyn Hoff Lynch Auditorium - Chemistry Building |
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| THUMAR15 | Deadline to Submit Spring 2012 Green Fund Proposals | |||||||||||||
| FRIMAR16 |
PennCycle Kickoff Event 12:00p - 4:00p Hill Field (34th & Walnut Streets) |
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| FRIMAR30 |
GreenFest 12:00p - 4:00p Wynn Commons (Rain Location: Houston Hall) |
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| SATMAR31 |
Penn Appetit Food Summit All Weekend |
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| VIEW MORE GREEN CAMPUS PARTNERSHIP EVENTS | ||||||||||||||
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Penn Releases 2011 Climate Action Plan Progress Report Eco-Reps. Green Fund. Power Down Challenge. LEED Gold. A decade ago, these terms had little relevance to the Penn community, but since the University launched its Climate Action Plan (CAP) in 2009, they have become part of our everyday parlance, signifying Penn's commitment to sustainability. After President Amy Gutmann signed the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment in 2007, the University developed the CAP to improve green initiatives across campus. The plan outlines specific goals for energy reduction, waste minimization, emissions reduction, sustainable building and the education of the campus community about lowering Penn's carbon footprint. So where do we stand? READ MORE |
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RecycleMania 2012 is Underway at Penn As part of its Year of Games, the University of Pennsylvania is among the 600-plus colleges and universities across the United States and Canada competing over the next six weeks in RecycleMania 2012. This competition is designed to see which schools will minimize their waste stream most significantly and achieve the greatest recycling rate. With three weeks of the tournament under its belt, Penn looks to achieve a goal of 32 percent – three percentage points higher than its 2011 rate of 29 percent -- for recycling glass, plastic, metal, paper and cardboard... READ MORE |
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Staff & Faculty Eco-Reps Look to Build Upon Success in 2012 The Green Campus Partnership is proud to announce that more than 80 Penn staff members have been selected to represent their departments as Staff & Faculty Eco-Reps for the Spring and Summer 2012 semesters... READ MORE |
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Spring 2012 Green Fund Grant Applications Due by March 15 The Penn Green Fund is still accepting applications for this semester's round of grants to support innovative ideas from students, faculty or staff designed to help Penn meet its sustainability goals. Deadline for submission is March 15, and the awards will be announced in late April. The maximum allocation is $50,000... READ MORE |
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Penn Sustainability Review Increases Environmental Dialogue Across Campus Supported by the Green Fund, the Penn Sustainability Review (PSR) is a student-run online and print publication featuring sustainability-related opinion editorials, leadership interviews, research papers. We aim to provide a platform for all members of the Penn community to exchange knowledge, ideas, and perspectives between students, faculty, and professionals on wide-ranging sustainability issues... READ MORE |
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Summer Research Assistant Needed for Sustainability Across the Curriculum Workshop The Green Campus Partnership is calling for qualified student applicants for the position of Summer Research Assistant for Sustainability Across the Curriculum, a one-day faculty workshop that aims to further integrate environmental sustainability into current academic initiatives. The Summer Research Assistant will work with faculty to redesign existing courses and create new courses to address sustainability issues. Please contact sustainability@upenn.edu for more information. |
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Call for Proposals: Ben Franklin Scholars Course Design Grants Together with the Office of the Provost, the Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee, and the Netter Center for Community Partnerships, the Benjamin Franklin Scholars (BFS) program is pleased to announce the BFS Course Design Grants. Grants from $2000—$5000 will be considered for exceptional proposals for the development of new BFS seminars, including those that develop innovative approaches to incorporating the theme of sustainability... READ MORE |
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Cool Energy Conservation Initiatives Underway at the Penn Ice Rink The Penn Ice Rink was awarded a grant from Penn's Green Fund for the installation of a water density system that will reduce the rink's energy usage and provide an improved ice product to customers. In addition to the new system, called Real Ice, the rink has also purchased a 1999 propane-fueled Olympia ice-resurfacer, equipped with the latest emissions-reducing technology, to replace an inefficient 1970 Zamboni and has replaced an aging gasoline-powered edger with a battery-operated, zero-emissions model that smoothes the outside edges of the ice, where the larger machine can’t reach. Read more about the new machines at the Penn Current. |
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Now Recyclable at Penn: ALL Plastic, Foil, and Wrappers Following some technical upgrades at the University’s waste and recycling hauler’s facility, Penn recently added several new types of materials to its growing list of recyclables. All plastic containers (both numbered and unnumbered), plastic utensils, plastic bags, and plastic wrap are now recyclable and can be disposed into designated glass/plastic/aluminum recycling bins and single stream recycling bins. Additional materials now recyclable that were previously disposed as trash include aluminum foil and candy/chip/snack wrappers. Updated recycling signage and posters are available for download in PDF format on the Green Campus Partnership website. |
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Creating Canopy: Free Trees for Penn Staff The University of Pennsylvania is already a leader in promoting environmental sustainability, the importance of trees, sustainable building development, encouraging recycling, and providing public open space. This spring, Penn is partnering with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation for a structured tree giveaway, building upon a pilot Creating Canopy tree giveaway from last year. More than 400 free trees will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis to interested Penn staff and faculty who pre-register through the appropriate links. Employees who reside in the PA, NJ, and DE suburbs will work with PHS to help ‘Plant One Million’, while those who live within the city limits will join with Parks and Rec to help ‘TreePhilly’. Planned tree plantings on Penn’s campus from 2008 through 2015 are estimated at more than 1,700. The University wants to engage the staff and faculty in this greening effort, enabling them to plant trees in their own yards. Our sponsorship of this program will make a great impact on our campus, the city, and the region in expanding our environmental outreach and working towards our sustainability goals. For more information about Creating Canopy with Penn, visit the Green Campus Partnership website. |
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Penn Women's Center Goes Green with Environmental Education Kitchen Over the summer, an office space at the Penn Women’s Center was transformed into a stylish, completely sustainable kitchen. Boasting recycled wood cabinets and countertop, energy-saving appliances and worm compost box, the kitchen serves as a model for homeowners looking to make their living space a little greener. Read the full story at the Penn Current. |
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PennCycle Student-Run Bike-Sharing Pilot to Launch on March 16 at Hill College House March 16 will mark the start of yet another innovative Green Fund project aimed at changing campus culture. PennCycle, a student-run bike share program for Penn students, faculty, and staff, will launch as a pilot at Hill College House. Membership costs $10 per person and provides unlimited access to bike rentals through the end of May 2012. For more information and to become a member, visit www.penncycle.org. |
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Penn Appetit Magazine to Host First "Food Summit" on March 31 Penn Appétit, a food magazine run entirely by Penn students, is bringing together heads of gastronomy clubs and editors of campus food magazines for an Intercollegiate Food Summit on March 31. The first-of-its-kind event will allow a diverse, enterprising group of college students to meet with eminent industry professionals, with an emphasis on food writing... READ MORE |
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Lambros Theofanidis C'12 In addition to co-founding the Green Acorn Certification Program, Lambros spearheaded another Green Fund project this past year in The Greening of The Castle, which educated fraternity members about energy conservation while improving the insulation and efficiency of heating and lighting controls in the Psi Upsilon chapter house at 36th Street & Locust Walk. Estimated to cut the Castle’s energy usage in half, the project has effectively raised awareness of energy consumption within the chapter and serves as a model for fraternities and sororities across campus looking to get a little greener. |
In each issue of Red & Blue On College Green, we recognize a member of the Penn community for his or her environmental sustainability efforts on campus. If you know someone at Penn who is "leading the green," send us an email at: sustainability@upenn.edu | ||||||||||||
| © 2012 University of Pennsylvania | Penn Green Campus Partnership, 3101 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 | ||||||||||||||
